Up in the heavenly realms, where clouds swirled like endless silk and golden light bathed everything in eternal warmth, most of the angels had gathered in the grand hall. They were meeting with the deities, discussing matters of fate and balance, the usual serious stuff. But two Cupids had stayed behind—Kia and Lia, the partly rebellious ones. They had this special power to create love, something even the deities couldn't do themselves. It made them a little proud, maybe too proud sometimes. Their arrows weren't just any arrows; they were crafted from rare materials gathered far and wide—crystals from deep under the earth, feathers from heavenly birds, woods from ancient mortal forests. All that made their magic strong and unique.
Kia and Lia sat together in Kia's quarters, a cozy space with soft glowing orbs floating around and walls that shimmered like mother-of-pearl. No one else was around, just the quiet hum of the realms.
Kia leaned back stretching his wings a bit. "Hey Lia," he said with a curious grin. "Have you ever… you know, been intimate with anyone?"
Lia blinked her silver hair falling over one eye. She tilted her head thinking. "Intimate? Why would we? We don't have organs or anything like that. No need for reproduction—new Cupids are just willed into existence. It's not necessary for us."
Kia chuckled nodding. "True but I've spied on humans a lot you know, watching over love and all. The way they get close, touch each other… it looks intense. The feelings they describe, the way their bodies react. It seems like something wild, something good."
Lia's eyes widened a spark of interest there. "You've never…?"
He laughed softly rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually yeah. About 900 years ago. I shapeshifted into full human form to save this girl—she'd been kidnapped sold into slavery. Poor thing terrified. I swooped in took her to my secret cave on Mount Lapis. Fed her clothed her helped her get strong again. One night when I was about to fly back here she grabbed my hand said 'Stay. Please stay the night.' Then she professed her love straight out. Said I could be her husband forever."
Lia leaned closer fascinated. "What did you do?"
"I tried to say no gently but she looked so hopeful I was afraid she'd get angry or sad. So I used my shapeshifting gave myself everything a human man needs. And we… well we did it." He grinned sheepish. "Truth is I didn't know much at all. She had to teach me everything step by step. Kept laughing and guiding my hands saying 'No like this Kia' or 'Slower there.' It was awkward but sweet you know?"
Lia burst out laughing covering her mouth. "You? The great Kia needing lessons?"
"Hey it was my first time!" he protested but laughing too. "But after… wow. It was like fire spreading through every part of me warmth and closeness I'd never felt. Bodies pressing together breaths mixing hearts racing like they wanted to burst. The way she looked at me after soft and glowing… poetic really. Like two souls tangling in a dance older than the stars."
Lia bit her lip thoughtful. "Isn't that against the rules though? Big time?"
Kia sighed his smile fading a bit. "Yeah totally. Human touch gets detected right away by the deities. That's how I lost my rank—got demoted hard. They wanted to forgive me eventually because I did save her and it wasn't my idea to get intimate. She suggested it. But I told them no I wanted to stay on earth take care of my wife. They let me but yeah lower status now. Couldn't fire me completely since the good outweighed the bad."
As he spoke lost in the memory he didn't notice at first. Lia's form started to shift. Her wings folded away disappearing her fancy armor melting into a light loose flowing dress partly transparent hugging her new curves softly. Everything human now gentle outlines showing through the fabric her silver hair cascading down.
Kia blinked caught off guard. "Lia what are you—"
She didn't let him finish. She grabbed his robe pulling him close her eyes shining with determination and curiosity. "I want to experience it too Kia. Right now."
Excitement rushed through him. He shapeshifted quick preserving his golden hair and sharp features but becoming fully human strong and ready. They tumbled together onto the soft cloud-like bed in his quarters laughter mixing with quick breaths.
It started eager but hilarious—Lia fumbling not sure where to put her hands or how to move. "Like this?" she'd ask tilting her head and Kia would chuckle guiding her gently. "No a bit lower… yeah there. Wait not so fast!" She'd pause confused then try again giggling when things felt odd or ticklish. "Humans do this all the time? How do they not laugh the whole way?"
But soon the humor melted into something warmer deeper. Bodies fitting together skin against skin soft gasps filling the air. It was romantic the way they explored slow at times urgent at others. Her dress slipped away his robes forgotten. Every touch sent sparks every kiss lingered like they were discovering a secret the mortals kept so well.
Right in the middle lost in the rhythm Kia suddenly froze. A vision hit him clear as day: Queen Shala leaning down kissing her sick husband goodbye soft and dutiful then mounting her horse heading out toward Magda's snowy borders.
The shock snapped him back. His human form faded organs vanishing as he returned to angelic pure and wingéd. "Lia wait stop," he gasped trying to pull away. "I saw something—the queen she's on her way to Magda!"
But Lia wasn't having it. Her eyes half-closed she grabbed him pinning him back down with surprising strength. "No Kia," she whispered voice husky. "I like this feeling too much. We're finishing."
He couldn't argue much—not with the heat still there. They went on the moment building again until it crested sweet and overwhelming. Lia sighed content curling against him after.
"Can we do this often?" she asked tracing patterns on his chest her voice dreamy.
Kia forced a smile saying "Alright sure," but his enthusiasm was low. That good feeling troubled him now mixing with worry over the vision. And worse it reminded him so much of that girl 900 years ago—the one he'd truly loved the warmth he'd lost when duty pulled him back.
He stared at the shimmering ceiling troubled. Lia dozed off happy beside him but Kia couldn't shake the sadness or the sense that trouble was brewing down on earth.